MCLEAN, VA.—This week, Western Global Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), filed a joint request for federal mediation with the National Mediation Board (NMB) to facilitate negotiations for their first contract. The decision to seek mediation comes after company management continues to slow-walk negotiations, demonstrated by their delayed responses to contract proposals as well as their recent decision to backtrack on proposals and improvements exchanged between the parties over the last year.
“After months of delays, it’s clear that Western Global management needs intervention to keep the company on a course of good-faith bargaining,” said Greg Pinckney, ALPA Western Global Master Executive Council chair. “We are asking the NMB to help us reach an agreement that recognizes the contributions our pilots have made to our company’s success.”
Western Global Airlines, a major global freight carrier serving over 400 airports and working with the U.S. Department of Defense, has been in contract negotiations with its pilots for over two years. The pilots are now seeking mediation to address significant economic and other issues that remain unresolved, causing their pay rates to lag behind industry peers.
Over the last few years, the pilots have faced many challenges, including high attrition and workforce uncertainty. These issues were magnified when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2023.
“Western Global pilots have shown a commitment to the company even during turbulent financial times,” Pinckney said. “It’s time for the company to resolve the outstanding bargaining issues with its pilot group, and I am hopeful and optimistic that with the help of a federal mediator we will reach a consensual agreement with management that recognizes our contributions to Western Global’s return to solvency and continued growth.”
Once the NMB processes the mediation request, a federal mediator will take control of the bargaining schedule and oversee negotiations going forward.
